


A Sweet Reveal

by ArcaneAnima



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Adriennette, F/M, Fluff, I'm touching on all corners of the love square in this!, Identity Reveal, LadyNoir - Freeform, Marichat, i just had to write and get the juices flowing, ladrien, my title literally says it's a reveal too lmao
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-07
Updated: 2017-03-15
Packaged: 2018-09-30 14:01:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,143
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10164524
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ArcaneAnima/pseuds/ArcaneAnima
Summary: Ladybug bakes Adrien a cake.I mean.. Marinette bakes Adrien a cake.Or is Marinette baking a cake for Chat Noir?But she made a cupcake for Chat...What?





	1. Chapter 1

Chat Noir watched fondly as Ladybug threw her Lucky Charm up into the clear skies with her usual flare. “Miraculous Ladybug!” She yelled, and the spotted bag of flour erupted into a magical fountain of ladybugs, fixing everything in their wake. A few of the enchanted bugs washed over his sprained wrist, and he was mystified as his pain faded away. Ladybug walked towards him with a smile that was well capable of stopping his heart, just as the ladybugs disappeared from the sky. She offered her fist, and he bumped it with his with a wide grin.

”Amazing as always, My Lady,” he complimented, taking her gloved hand and planting a kiss atop of it. The heroine pulled her hand away with a roll of her beautiful blue eyes. Sass aside, she bent over to grab his other hand, holding it gently and inspecting it.

”Are you alright, Chat? That was a nasty hit you took for me.”

”I’d take worse for you,” he said without second thought, affection interlaced subtly in his words. Her eyes flitted up to his, unimpressed, for a second, and his smile turned sheepish. “I’m okay. Sorry, I know I promised not to be so reckless.”

”It’s alright,” she sighed, letting go of him. He missed her touch immediately. “I have to be more careful so you take less hits for me, Chaton.”

He reached for her. ”I really don’t mind, My Lady--”

”No,” she cut off, blue eyes steely. Chat took a step back, raising his arms in defense, and she deflated once more. “Sorry, sorry. I’ve been fretting about something that’s got a deadline, so I’ve been on edge… But Chat Noir,” he knew she was serious whenever she used his full alias like that. “We’ve been doing this for four years and I’m _telling_ you that _I mind_ if you’re hurt or not, and you should too. What if, one day, you’re hurt beyond repair? What if, one day, you disappear into another universe and my ladybugs’ magic can’t get to you?”

Chat stayed silent. This wasn’t the first time she had lectured him about his own safety, and he really did take it into consideration. But in the middle of an akuma attack, he didn’t stop and think about his safety-- he acted purely on instinct, an instinct to protect her. “My apologies,” he said with a bow, “I won’t worry you any longer, My Lady.”

Ladybug dragged a hand down her cheek just as her earrings began to beep. She groaned, and Chat’s ears perked at the sound of displeasure.

”LB, if there’s something bothering you, I’m always willing to lend a paw, you know.” To his surprise, she actually looked like she was considering his offer. Usually, the red-clad heroine would zip away as soon as she could, but she stayed with him, shifting from foot to foot.

”Well, actually, I’ve just been stuck on this decision…”

”Oh? What about?” he asked, resting his arms on his hips and tilting his head, ears up and attentive.

”Alright, well, I… bake. It’s something I like to do sometimes.” Chat nodded, storing that information in the back of his mind in glee. “And it’s my… friend’s… birthday soon, and I was thinking of baking him a cake. But I’m unsure… I don’t know if it’s a good enough gift, or if the cake will taste good enough.”

”Bugaboo,” Chat began, giving her a carefree smile and wrapping an arm around her shoulders. “That’s a brilliant idea! There’s nothing to be a-fur-aid of. I’m 100% certain it’ll taste great and that your buddy will love it.”

”Oh?” Ladybug raised an eyebrow at her partner in skepticism. “You’ve never even had a taste of my baking, Chaton.”

”Well, you could remedy that with a little something for me. My birthday’s coming up soon, too,” he suggested, waggling his brows and leaning close to her face. Ladybug put a finger on his nose, pushing him away and off of her. Chat laughed. “I’m just certain you’re an awesome baker. Heck, even if you weren’t, he’d at least apurreciate how much work you’d put into that cake. Just do your best.”

Ladybug smiled despite her Miraculous’s quickening beeps and his awful cat pun. “You know what, you’re right. I should just try my best.” She unclipped her yoyo from her waist and walked away from him, but not before turning her head and giving him a smile. “Oh, and Chat?”

"Yes, My Lady?"

”We’ll see about that ‘little something’.”

And with that, she zipped away, leaving her feline partner with an open mouth and wide, sparkling eyes.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The MariChat chapter lel

As soon as Ladybug fell through the bakery’s sunroof and de-transformed, Marinette Dupain-Cheng hopped off of her bunk bed and hastened to her desk. She grabbed a recipe book from her drawer, flipping through the pages and leaving it open on a spread of a 3-layered vanilla and mocha cake. She thought it was perfect. Vanilla, because Adrien was the most innocent person she’s ever been blessed to meet, and mocha, because of his growing obsession with coffee and caffeine in general the past few months. “I’ll make the icing from scratch, I’ll add some green decor, it’s his favourite colour, should I add some pink in it? No, the colour scheme wouldn’t match the flavour…”

”I think the pink would look cute with it, maybe as little flowers all around?” Tikki sat near the corner of the recipe book, nibbling on some rare cookies from the convenience store. Occasionally, she liked to eat the chewy Chips Ahoy cookies rather than grab some from downstairs. Marinette thought Tikki ate those when she wanted something especially sweet.

”That’s not a bad idea,” she replied, untying her pigtails and tying her hair back and up into a little bun. “I’ll make dark green icing for the writing and the buttercream for cake filling from scratch… Okay!” With a renewed sense of purpose, Marinette memorized the recipe and familiarized herself with the instructions, rushing downstairs afterwards to start on her cake.

Adrien’s birthday was the next day, a Saturday, but he was going on a week long trip to a far-off location for a photoshoot starting Sunday. Though she, Alya, and Nino are planning a surprise upon his return, Marinette really wanted to do something extra special for him. The night before, she pondered if Ladybug could give Adrien something for his birthday. They’ve become more familiar with each other, despite Marinette’s earlier hesitation, much like she was friends with Chat Noir. Tikki thought it was a sweet idea, considering Adrien was a big Ladybug fan. Marinette got to the kitchen, where her father was baking some pastries of his own.

”Hey Marinette. What brings you out of your cave and into the land of sweet creation?” Tom asked good-heartedly as he worked his magic on some dough. Marinette smiled, going over to kiss his cheek. She grabbed her apron, moving it over her head and tying it around her waist.

”It’s Adrien’s birthday tomorrow. I thought I’d bake him a cake.”

”Not a bad gift, considering he’s the reason you passed Physics,” laughed her father. Marinette pouted and blushed, beginning to gather her ingredients. She didn’t deny it; Adrien really did help her out a couple of years back. From then on, they’d become closer. Adrien was more of a dork than 14-year-old Marinette could have ever expected, and it was his dorky qualities that melted off her awkwardness. Honestly, she was glad to find that Adrien wasn’t so stereotypically perfect like she had initially thought. She didn’t dwell on it as much as she did back then, but she definitely fell deeper in love with the blond. She was just glad she could crack a few jokes around Adrien now, let alone hold a proper conversation.

”I just hope he likes it,” she said, “you don’t mind if I work along with you?”

”Not at all, I’d love the company, Marinette,” Tom replied with a smile, eyes crinkling at the corners. With a smile of her own, Marinette delved into her work.

_First things first, let's make Chaton a cute cupcake._

 

 

Adrien stared up at the darkening early-evening sky, trying to see if he could see pinpricks of light through the clouds. Around him, the night photoshoot had come to its conclusion, and Natalie was saying her farewells to the (other) managers of the shoot. _I don’t want to go home,_ he thought as Nathalie lead him to the car. But, like it many aspects of his life, he didn’t get a say in it. He was back at the Agreste mansion in no time, and he headed straight to his shower as soon as he stepped out of the vehicle.

After washing off the sweat and the makeup from his person, Adrien walked out of the bathroom with a pair of loose shorts and a towel around his neck. “Put some clothes on,” commented Plagg from his table, where a bag of cheese sticks lay mutilated by the tiny kwami. Adrien rolled his eyes; he knew Plagg didn’t really give a damn. Dropping onto his bed, he checked his messages. No replies.

”I wonder what Marinette is doing,” he hummed, rubbing his damp hair with a towel. “She usually replies really fast.”

”No she doesn’t,” denied Plagg. He pointed a cheese stick in the blond’s direction. “Your girlfriend has a tendency to disappear in the middle of the day.”

”Well, she is pretty busy, school and helping out at the bakery and designing and all… and she _isn’t_ my girlfriend,” Adrien vehemently countered, cheeks warming. Plagg shrugged, returning his attention to his cheese snacks, but Adrien pursed his lips in thought.

Recently, he had been feeling strange around his half-Asian friend. He began to notice little things, like the crinkle of her nose when she laughed, and the way her eyes squinted a little when she smiled, and the way she tapped her pencil on her cheek when she was contemplating a design. More than her little mannerisms, as Adrien got to know her more and more the past few years, he discovered that he had the wrong impression of her after all. She wasn’t some meek mouse, she was a fierce and compelling ocean-- strong and beautiful and… well, a little scary when she needed to be. If he wasn’t already in love with someone else, perhaps he would have fallen for Marinette Dupain-Cheng. Weirdly enough, he wasn’t too opposed to the thought.

”Let’s go see what she’s up to,” he said, standing up. Plagg turned to him with narrowed eyes.

”Kid. No. We’ve been out all day. I’m tired. I don’t want to aid you on this ridiculous elopement--”

”Plagg--”

”NO, NO, HOLD ON--”

”Claws Out!”

 

 

Chat Noir looked through the blackette’s sunroof, moving around to see every angle of her room. _Empty_ , he thought. He slinked down the building and landed on the first floor, looking through the back window where the kitchen was. Squinting at the light coming from inside, he moved his face against the window, giving a shit-eating grin when a pair of surprised blue eyes turned to him. Marinette rolled her eyes, a habit of hers that reminded him of His Lady, and moved to open the back door for him. Chat stepped into the warm bakery and took in her form. “Heh,” he chuckled slightly, “you’re covered in flour and batter.”

”Amazing observation skills as always, Chat Noir.” Marinette returned to the kitchen and took a bowl of what looked like frosting. Chat looked around at her work space. There were two naked cakes placed off to the side, a cupcake with black icing, and another cake sitting right by her. Chat moved next to her as she began covering the cake in white frosting; he watched in awe at how smooth the frosting went around and on top it.

”Ooh, baking cakes for tomorrow, Purr-incess?”

Marinette ignored the nickname (as usual) and shook her head, grabbing a different bowl of a different frosting-looking thing and pouring it into a squeezy thing. He should ask her for some baking pointers as Adrien sometimes-- he really lacked the vocabulary for any of the utensils she uses. “Actually, I’m making these for a friend.” She took one look at his curious eyes and added, “and this is called a pastry bag.”

He blinked at her, grinned, then looked at the two other cakes. “Three cakes and a cupcake for one person is a bit much, don’t you think? ...unless it’s a wedding.” Marinette blushed.

”Actually,” she mumbled, squeezing pink meringue-looking things around the border of the cake, “that cupcake is for, uh, another friend. I didn’t like how those two cakes turned out and made another. This one is… good enough, at least.”

Chat knelt beside her so that only the top of his head and his eyes peeked from the edge of the work station. “It looks purr-fect so far,” he complimented, catching the slight twitch of a smile on Marinette’s lips.

”Ah-ah-ah, Chat, don’t get any ideas. This isn’t for you.” She scooped some green gel looking stuff into the pastry bag and wrote something on top. He was too low to see it. “I just hope he likes it.”

Chat got up, reading the elegant cursive font and biting back a giddy smile. ”But Princess, it’s got my name written all over it,” he teased. The cake said “Happy Birthday, Adrien,” and his heart felt like it would burst in affection for the girl. It was a cake for him. For his birthday. Marinette was the most wonderful--

”Nice try, but your name isn’t Adrien,” she laughed softly, and added, “is it?”

Chat Noir felt the blood drain from his face, looking into Marinette’s amused eyes. He froze his face into a smile, but he felt his ears flatten against his head as he said, “..nooo….”

Marinette shrugged, dismissing the mere thought, and the blond melted into a puddle of guilt.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Bonus]
> 
> ”I can’t believe you lied to her like that,” Plagg deadpanned at the blond, who had comical tears streaming down onto the table where he was resting his head.  
> ”Ladybug would have wanted me to…” he cried, “Our identities…. Secret….”  
> Plagg shrugged, continuing to devour his camembert dinner.
> 
> Thanks to everyone who has read and commented and clicked kudos so far! It's quite the motivation when I realize actual people are reading and enjoying my work.
> 
> yall are mlb trash and i love it
> 
> edit: idk why there r like two notes on chapter 2. chapter 1 notes moved to chapter 2? what's happening AO3


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> the Ladrien chapter. yall know what comes next

Adrien, though still slightly guilty about lying to Marinette, woke up bright and cheery the next morning (much to Plagg’s chagrin). With a hop into the shower and a skip out the door (with his father’s permission, of course), Adrien met up with his favourite people at Nino’s place. “Happy birthday, my duuuuude,” greeted Nino with an emphasized and kind of cringey surfer-dude accent, reaching around Adrien’s neck and pulling him into a noogie.

”Aw, Nino, stop!” Adrien laughed, twisting out of his best friend’s hold. Nino lead the blond up the stairs to his room, where Alya was seated comfortable on a maroon beanbag and Marinette was settled in front of the television. At his entrance, Alya looked up from her laptop (probably on the Ladyblog) and Marinette paused her game.

”Look who it is: the special child!” Alya proclaimed, smiling widely as she approached and gave him a rough pat on the back. “Happy birthday, Agreste! How old are now?”

”You shouldn’t ask ladies their age,” Nino interjected, replacing Marinette as the girl got up and approached him too. Adrien deadpanned at Nino, thanked Alya, and slid his gaze onto his half-Asian friend. Marinette stood at a casual distance, smiling warmly at him, and Adrien’s face unintentionally brightened at the sight of her.

”Happy birthday, Adrien,” she greeted pleasantly. She took a tentative step, and Adrien watched her curiously… that is, until, Alya shoved him straight into her arms. It was ironic, Marinette catching him. How many times had this happened with their roles reversed way back then? “Whoops,” she snorted. “Watch it, O graceful model.”

”Hey, you guys have to be nice to me today,” he pouted, straightening himself up. Marinette gave him an impish smile, one that said “in your dreams,” and settled beside Nino. Alya sauntered back to the beanbag.

”It may be your birthday,” the brunette said, “but it’s not your birthday celebration yet. So we don’t have to treat you like royalty.”

”Whaaat… that makes no sense.” Adrien moved to sit on Nino’s bed, sulking. “Why does the party have to be postponed to next week?”

”So you have something to look forward to after your trip away, you big baby.” Adrien stared at the back of Marinette’s head, unimpressed.

”...I guess that isn’t a bad idea,” he mumbled. He was satisfied enough being able to spend his birthday with them doing nothing, so he wasn’t really affected too much.

”Dude,” Nino said suddenly, turning to Adrien with his controller in the air. “Dude, Marinette demolished my high score and I can’t get anywhere near it. You’ve got to fight for my dignity.”

Adrien’s eyes flitted to Marinette’s challenging smile as Alya muttered “what dignity?” and the competitiveness in him flamed. He scooted forward, taking the controller from a hurt Nino, and gave Marinette a smirk. “You’re on, Princess.”

He pressed start, not seeing Marinette look up at him, confused.

 

 

Truth be told, Adrien was way more conscious of Marinette that day. As he waved goodbye to the trio at Nino’s door and stepped into the sleek black vehicle, he was kind of disappointed that Marinette had, he supposed, decided against giving him the cake she baked last night. “I hope she didn’t throw it away,” he muttered as he entered his room, placing the plate of camembert on his desk for his kwami to consume. Plagg hopped out of his hiding place enthusiastically, landing on the roll of cheese and taking massive bites. Adrien dropped onto his sofa bed, letting his head rest on the back as he stared holes into his ceiling. “It was such a pretty cake, I think you would have liked it, Plagg.”

His companion didn’t reply, and Adrien thought, _he probably has a mouth full of cheese._ He turned to look at the god of destruction, tilting his head up and back to try to see his desk area, albeit upside down. “Plagg?” he called, not seeing the kwami anywhere. Adrien felt a spike of adrenaline. “Pla--”

**Tap tap tap!**

Adrien jumped, nearly falling off of his sofa bed. He turned to the source of the sound, and his eyes almost fell out of their sockets. Outside of his window was Ladybug, standing on the ledge and waving shyly. “May I come in?” she asked, voice muffled by the glass. Mouth agape, Adrien nodded. “...Could you open the window?” Oh. OH.

”Oh, yeah!” he rushed over, unlocking the window and letting the heroine in. As soon as her feet touched his floor, he noticed that Ladybug was carrying a white box with her. As if sensing his (slow) observation, Ladybug held out the box to him.

”Happy birthday, Adrien. A friend of yours notified me that today was one of our biggest fans’ birthday, so I thought I’d give you this as a thank you!”

Adrien stared at her stupidly. “My… friend?”

”Uh, yes! Marinette,” she said, “the girl from the bakery.” Adrien almost burst a vein. Marinette told Ladybug it was his birthday. Ladybug is giving him a present. Ladybug is giving him a present because Marinette told her it was his birthday. He was going to _SQUEEZE_ that girl and throw ALL THE DESIGNING INTERNSHIPS INTO HER FACE-- Adrien took a deep breath, realizing that he was at the verge of a full-out fanboy breakdown. Regaining some composure, he took the box graciously and offered her a seat.

“This is too sweet of you, Ladybug,” Adrien lowkey gushed. He could feel his cheek twitching as he tried with all his might to force down the Chat Noir-level grin threatening to split his face in half. _Come on, Adrien. You’re a model. Be cool!_ “You didn’t have to get me anything,” he finished with a shy smile, holding the box on his lap as if it was a fragile, million-euro artifact. To him, it was worth more than that. Ladybug averted her gaze and smiled, and Adrien straight up ogled her beautiful visage.

”Oh, well, I wanted to-- I mean, I like to bake in my spare time, so it was no trouble, really!” She returned her gaze to him, and Adrien worked hard to keep himself calm. Did she say she likes to bake? Does that mean she _made_ this, whatever it was, herself??? “It’s the least I can do for one of our biggest fans,” Ladybug added. “I’d bake the girl behind the Ladyblog-- Alya-- cakes too.” CAKE! SHE MADE HIM CAKE!

”That’s.. Awfully awfully sweet of you.” His voice wavered-- GODS-- his voice wavered! “Thank you so much.”

Ladybug only smiled, urging him to open it. “I hope you like it,” she said, and Adrien couldn’t stop the happy little wiggle as he turned his focus on the simple white box. His eyes gleamed.

 _Gift from My Ladybug,_ he hummed in his head, his smile unconsciously becoming an excited grin. He opened the box, eyes gleaming… and his breath hitched.

The cake … with a girlish pink border of meringue looking things and “Happy Birthday, Adrien” written in elegant, green font… writing he has seen time and time again in school… Suddenly, pieces of a giant, complex puzzle settled together. “Oh,” he breathed. He knows this handwriting. He’s seen this cake before. He knew if he took a bite of this cake, it would taste familiar. He knew, somewhere in Ladybug’s kitchen, on the first floor of his favourite bakery, sat a cupcake that suddenly made so much more sense to him. Suddenly, everything made sense to him, and he could almost slap himself in disbelief. How didn’t he see it before? What sorcery had been keeping him so blind? The pigtails, those beautiful bluebells, the constant disappearances, her increasing confidence… He bit his lip, bit back a smile, and turned to look at his Lady-- his _friend_. “You really made this yourself?”

She nodded enthusiastically, and his heart warmed at how _cute_ the action was. Adrien’s mind shifted into hyper-gear, but before he could do or say anything, Ladybug got up and walked towards the window. “While I’d love to stay and see how you like it, I have to get up extra early tomorrow so I gotta split, if that’s alright with you.”

”Y-Yeah,” he nodded. Curses, he stuttered! Adrien stood up to see her off, placing the precious cake gently down on his sofa bed. “Thank you so much for this, Ladybug. You made my night.”

Ladybug paused, staring at him. She shook her head and smiled. “Tell me how it is when I see you next time.”

”Can do,” he nodded, watching as she stepped out of his window. She unclipped her yo-yo and sent him a smile, and all Adrien could notice was the way her eyes squinted a little and how her nose crinkled up a bit. “Good night, My Lady.”

Ladybug raised an eyebrow at him--she probably thought he was taking after Chat Noir too much-- and threw her yo-yo out. “Happy birthday, Adrien,” she said. “Bug out!”

Adrien watched as she zipped towards the opposite direction of her house, perhaps to throw him off. _What a smart bug,_ he thought, staring dreamily at her retreating figure. He needed to let her know that he knew somehow. It wouldn’t be fair to His Lady, to his _Princess_ , otherwise. With a fleeting look at his packed bags and a fond smile at the cake, Adrien called Plagg out of his hiding place. “Let’s have some birthday cake.”

”With pleasure!” Plagg squealed, flying out of his hiding spot, grabbing his camembert, and zooming straight at the cake. Adrien’s eyes widened.

”Plagg, NO!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guys I'm honestly SHOOK  
> I did not expect this fic to garner this much attention
> 
> here is the 3rd chapter, released way earlier than I said I'd release it.  
> It's kind of bittersweet, because the good stuff happens, but next chapter is also the end to all this fluffy goodness.
> 
> Thank you for everyone who has shared their feels with me so far! XD


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> the chapter that completes the love square: Adrienette!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> guys are you ready
> 
> brace yourselves  
> dorks and their shenanigans ahead

Marinette knew that Adrien was familiar with her home. So much so that he knew everything on the bakery’s “menu,” when they opened and closed, and has come pretty close to finding out some of their secret recipes (on accident). Her parents were so used to Adrien’s parents that they basically treated him the same as Alya. It didn’t help that they not-so-subtly wanted them to get together… _You and me both,_ Marinette would think. Sometimes, Adrien would drop by just to say hello, and her parents would end up coaxing him into spending his day there, if he was available. At first, Marinette was constantly flustered with the model hanging around, but as time went on, his presence became somewhat the norm. She started to feel at ease around the huge dork. She wouldn’t admit it to him, but she missed him terribly whenever he went away for work.

Which is why she had been sighing all morning, cleaning up the kitchen while her parents manned the bakery front. She knew Adrien had gone away that morning, and was going to be away for abour a week. “I just hope he liked the cake,” Marinette muttered to Tikki, who was sitting at the top of the fridge and enjoying some raw cookie batter.

“I’m sure he did, Marinette,” Tikki said between chews. “Your baking has never failed to be scrumptious!”

”I wonder if he really believes Ladybug baked that cake,” she mused, wiping flour off of the table with a wet cloth. “And speaking of Ladybug, she has another present to deliver tonight.” On the far side of the counters sat a clear cupcake box, with a green cupcake topped with black icing sat. There was green paw décor at the very top, and she had even put on green lettering that said “C.N.” To add a bit of girlish charm to the favour box, she had added a pretty green bow. Marinette looked at the little gift with a soft smile. “I hope Chaton likes his little something, too.”

”Something tells me he’ll want a side of cheese with that,” said Tikki, nodding sagely. Marinette quirked an eyebrow at the strange suggestion.

”Really?”

”I’m certain.”

”Well, if you say so,” she muttered, putting down the flour-covered wet cloth and trying to dust flour off of her person. “Gosh, I gotta shower.” Marinette walked around the table and towards the fridge to slice some cheese but halted at the sound of knocking. She turned to the bakery’s back door, surprised. “Who could that be?” Tikki only giggled, finishing her ball of cookie batter and flying up the stairs. Warily, the teen made her way to the door, peeking through the little window on it.

”Hello,” said the person, peeking in and nearly giving Marinette a fright.

”What!” Marinette exclaimed, gaping at the blond standing outside. “Adrien! What are you-- Why are you-- Don’t you have--”

”Can I come in?” the blond asked cheekily, making Marinette stutter and let him in in a rush. After the door had shut behind Adrien, he beamed down at her, a mischievous glint in his eyes. _Huh_ , Marinette thought, growing cautious. _Why do I feel so on guard?_

”What are you doing here?” she asked, “Don’t you have a shoot somewhere in Italy?”

”I asked Natalie to move my schedule down a day. It took some persuading, but she finally agreed,” he explained, a tone of pride in his voice. Marinette raised an eyebrow.

”...okay, but why?”

Adrien looked her up and down, and Marinette felt her cheeks burn. What the heck is he doing? “Heh,” he chuckled, “you’re covered in flour and batter.”

Marinette rolled her eyes. “Amazing observation skills as always, Cha--” She stopped, almost biting her tongue. She swore she had that conversation before… And why had she almost call Adrien Chat Noir? “...you know, I don’t think I’m feeling well.”

”Oh, no!” The model exclaimed airily as he tailed Marinette back into the kitchen. “That’s awful, Princess!”

Marinette sent him a sharp look, confusion beginning to mix with her frustration. He was acting weird… weirder than usual. “You don’t sound like you sympathize at all. And what’s with the weird nickname?”

”Ooh, what’s this?”

Marinette whipped around with wide eyes, inhaling sharply as Adrien hovered over Chat’s cupcake like a hawk. Quick as a bug, she squeezed herself between Adrien and the box, finger up like an angry parent. “Hey, no. You can have the pastries in the bakery.” Marinette watched with bated breath as Adrien looked down at her… and smirked. It was a devious, _sinfully_ handsome smirk, and it made her brain short-circuit long enough for the dork to slip around her and grab the cupcake from behind her. The spell broke and he turned away, studying the cupcake. Marinette snapped out of it. “Adrien!” she huffed. “Hand that back to me you overgrown five-year old!”

”Oh, it’s a cat-themed cupcake! It’s so cute!” Adrien laughed, dodging her swipes effortlessly. Curse his martial arts and fencing training! “Mari, can I take a bite please? Your baking is such a treat!”

Marinette hurried after him, annoyed as Adrien made his away around the table with her on his tail. It was like a game of tag. Seriously, what was with him today? “Adrien!” She tried again. “That is not meant for you!!” He stopped, suddenly, and turned so fast that she fast-walked right into his chest. Stumbling a little, Marinette looked up as Adrien steadied her. Her heart could have literally stopped beating. She forgot to breathe. Adrien smirked devilishly down at her, green eyes gleaming, then leaned down, so close she could feel the heat of his skin on hers.

”But My Lady,” he practically _purred_ in her ear. “It’s got my name written all over it.”

He pulled away, grinning like a child on Christmas eve, and watched her reaction, but Marinette was frozen. Frozen, stunned into speechlessness, and trapped in her thoughts. _Adrien… Princess… Flour… Cake… Ladybug… Chat?_

Adrien’s grin faltered, then melted into a pout, then curled up again into an impish smirk. To break her stupor, Adrien kissed her nose and ran out the back door, cup cake still in his sneaky _paws_ and laughter ringing in Marinette’s ears like the chimes of Heaven. He passed by a confused Alya and Nino, but continued to speed down the street. “C’mon, My Lady, or I’ll eat this up and there will be nothing left for you ‘friend’!”

Marinette, as red as her heroine outfit, snapped out of it and bristled, running after him and leaving a puff of flour in her wake. “WHEN I GET MY HANDS ON YOU, MINOU, YOU ARE DEAD!!!”

Hearing the commotion, Sabine and Tom peek from the bakery and look questioningly at the two bespectacled teens, who just laugh and shrug. Typical Marinette. Typical Adrien.

[BONUS]

"...So, you got any cheese around here?" asked Plagg, who lying snug in Tikki's embrace on Marinette's chaise.

"You're gonna have to wait until they get back," said Tikki. Plagg grumbled, but snuggled into the ladybug kwami's hold. Tikki only smiled as the god of destruction began to purr.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AND THAT IS A WRAP, MY FELLOW MLB TRASH. This was a joy to write, and now that I've completed it, hopefully I can get back on track with Topsy Turvy!
> 
> Thank you to everyone who has shared this little fic with me. Loving these dorks is fun, but loving these dorks with you guys is even better.
> 
> Special mention again to the artist who inspired this fic: Tumblr user luckycharmer

**Author's Note:**

> HI GUYS LMAO  
> I couldn't get myself to write chapter 13 for Topsy Turvy, so I went on a fanart spree and was inspired to write this sweet thang. The angst train has started on TT, so here's some floof.
> 
> This thing is only going to have 4 chapters in total and will be relatively short, so I'll finish it soon, if school allows.
> 
> Credit to Tumblr user luckycharmer for this sugary idea!


End file.
